Spider Identification Guide

Spiders are arachnids, and all adults have two body segments and eight legs. Many different species live outside all around us; three of the most problematic in our area are the black widow spider, wolf spider, and hobo spider. All three can make themselves comfortable in our yards or homes.

Black widow spiders are black, shiny spiders with long, thin legs and a reddish hourglass-like shape on the abdomen’s bottom.

Hobo spiders are large, fast-moving spiders that are light brown with pale markings.

Wolf spiders are large spiders with dark brown with pale markings. Short hair covers the body and legs and they have short, powerful legs and an overall stocky appearance.

The spider's many long legs, fangs, and quick movements make it a pest that many fear. However, these arachnids get a bad wrap and really don’t pose any harm to people.

Though spiders can bite people, know that in most cases, their bites are only slightly painful and only leave behind some redness or soreness.

The venom of most spiders is not strong enough to harm a person. The exception to this rule is the black widow spider; their toxin affects the central nervous system of people. Luckily, a health professional can usually manage the symptoms of a black widow spider bite.

If spiders have become a problem in your yard or home, it is because they have discovered your property is a place where they can effectively hunt their insect prey. Things like food debris, open trash cans, standing water, and lots of garden areas don’t necessarily attract spiders, but they do attract the insects that spiders feed on.

Spiders and insect infestations go hand in hand, so the best way to eliminate spiders from your Meridian property is to implement regular pest control services that will control the insects that are attracting hungry spiders to your property.

Spiders are naturally shy and reclusive, so they are drawn to dark, quiet areas, whether they live inside our homes or outside in our yards.

Hobo spiders prefer to live outside. While they can run very quickly, they are not great climbers and typically live and build their funnel-like webs at ground level. In our homes, hobo spiders hang out basements, garages, and crawl spaces.

Wolf spiders are another example of spiders that are not great climbers. They live and hunt at ground level; they do not build webs. As their name suggests, these spiders chase down their prey. When inside our homes, wolf spiders travel along the floor using walls as a guide and hiding in closets, basements, and under large pieces of furniture.

If there is a spider that prefers to hang out in dark, secluded places, it is the black widow spider. Outside they are often found in woodpiles and in between rocks. Inside our homes, black widow spiders will retreat into basements, crawl spaces, closets, cardboard boxes, and areas of clutter.

Don’t share your home with spiders any longer; reach out to Sawtooth Pest Control. Trust our professionals and our 18 years of combined experience to solve your property’s spider problems. Our effective home pest control and commercial pest control services can be completed bimonthly or quarterly and provide the regular visits and treatments necessary to eliminate spiders and to keep them from coming back in the future. Speak with one of our professionals today to learn about our pest control options and how we can work together to meet your pest control goals.

Prevent spiders from taking over your home with the assistance of the professionals at Sawtooth Pest Control and the following helpful tips:

• Never stack wood near the exterior walls of your home.
• Remove brush piles and other yard debris from your yard.
• Repair leaky pipes, air conditioners, and clogged gutters that provide spiders and their insect prey with water.
• Cut shrubs and bushes that spiders hang out in away from the outside walls of your home.
• Keep spiders out of your house by ensuring screens, weatherstripping, and trim are intact around windows and doors.
• Repair holes found at the roofline and foundation of your home.